It’s official…Another Day Another Dali, the second book in my Serena Jones Mysteries is now available.

Here is an excerpt from the opening chapter to whet your appetite:

I tore my gaze from the porch that wrapped around the drug dealer’s house and cringed at the number on my phone’s call display.

Mom said there’d be days like this.

Tanner, still decked out in his SWAT gear, peered over my shoulder as the phone vibrated insistently in my hand. “Good thing you’re a field-hardened FBI agent, so you don’t let little old ladies scare the pants off you.”

I sent him a silencing glare. Ignoring his grin, I turned away from the rest of the team traipsing in and out of the building, and clicked Connect. “Hi, Nana,” I said, injecting fake cheerfulness into my voice. “What’s up?”

Tanner, still hovering close enough to hear her strident tones, snickered.

I placed a muffling hand over the phone.

“Excuse me, sir,” I said sweetly. “Don’t you have a forgery to bubble-wrap?”

“Forgery?” His stunned look was so comical I forgave myself for rushing to a verdict before my usual careful perusal. Not that I was in any serious doubt about this particular painting.

“Really?” he said, broad shoulders slumping. When I arrived on scene, he boasted they’d turned up art so hot it was still smoking.

“Yup. Fake.” I, too, felt a pang of genuine regret that the “Renoir” hanging in the drug dealer’s den wasn’t the one on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted list.

But I’d left Nana hanging.

Straightening my shoulders, I put the phone back to my ear. “Sorry, Nana. Um, I have to be at the youth drop-in center by seven to teach the art class, so . . .” I glanced at my watch and cast about for a workable solution, but there just wasn’t enough time. “I’m afraid—”

“Never mind,” she interrupted. “Obviously, you’re at work.” Where you shouldn’t be taking personal calls, her tone implied. “Call me when you get home.”

“Okay,” I said to dead air.

Annoyed at myself for the guilty feeling I couldn’t stop from churning my stomach, I turned to study the front of the house once more. Something was niggling at my brain.

“Um . . . Tanner,” I said, hesitating.

“Yeah?”

“There’s something . . .” I squinted against the dropping September sun, mentally reviewing the interior.

“The wall’s covered in cobwebs and dust. It wouldn’t have registered unless you were looking for it.”

Tanner muttered something I couldn’t make out, but having been on the receiving end of his displeasure during my FBI training—granted, always earned—I didn’t envy poor Mason.

Tanner hoisted himself into the attic, then balance-beamed his way across a joist to the wall and examined every inch of it. “I don’t see any way to access what’s behind it.” He shone the light over the attic’s insulation-covered floor and then the shoe impressions he’d left in the dust on the joist. “It doesn’t look like anyone else has been up here recently. There must be another ceiling access panel.” He climbed back down, eyeing me with interest. “How’d you know to look for a secret room?”

I shrugged evasively.

Tanner followed me back to the room where the fake Renoir had been found and swept his flashlight beam over every inch of the ceiling. “There’s no other way up there that I can see.”

I maneuvered around the agent photographing evidence. The wall between this room and the next was decorated in wood panels and elaborate moldings that looked uncomfortably familiar. I ran my fingers along the moldings.

Primed to open it, I tossed a frown over my shoulder. “Are you really going to pull the SWAT-clears-every-room-first rule on this one?”

“No, I thought I’d rock-paper-scissors you for the privilege.” He motioned me to get out of his way.

My finger still on the sensor, I sidestepped two feet so he’d have a clear view as I pulled back the panel. “You ready? I’ll slide it open and you can call the all-clear.” I slid it three-quarters of an inch and froze. “Uh-oh.”

Tanner cursed. “Please tell me you’re messing with me.”

I gulped. “You don’t hear that ticking?”

He crouched down and shone his flashlight through the gap I’d opened. “Blast, Serena, don’t move a muscle.”

Yeah, got that.

“Blast!”

“Tanner, could you stop using that word?”

Hooked? 🙂

Ask for it at your local bookstore or click here for more buying options: http://sandraorchard.com/books/another-day-another-dali/

If you missed the first book, A Fool and His Monet, I recommend reading it first, but each novel is truly a standalone, so not reading it won’t inhibit you from following book 2 in any way.

Tomorrow, October 19th, I am being interviewed atEmilie Hendryx’s blog and will be offering a paperback copy of Another Day Another Dali to one lucky commenter. Hope you’ll stop by and tell a friend.

In other News:

All my Love Inspired Suspense titles are on sale for only $1.99 for kindle at Amazon until October 25th

Well, it’s been awhile since I’ve done a character interview, so I’m excited to have Raymond Alexander with us today from my friend Marji Laine’s new novel Counterpoint. Ray is a former missionary and life-long resident of Heath’s Point, Texas. (You can check out his pic on the book cover below 🙂 )

Ray, you’re quite a hero in Heath’s Point—just back home from your mission work in such a dangerous area of the globe. And I hear you took down a sinister drug lord. You must be pretty proud of yourself.

Not exactly. I only happened to be at the right place and time to spot that drug exchange that put the cartel leader in jail. Seriously, I’m no hero. I should have been paying attention to the threats made against my mission. I played them off as a distraction. A desperate attempt to chase me away.

Well, you’re still a hero to most of us. And everything worked out all right, except the injury to your arm and the cut on your face.

Reminders of how stupid I’d been. There were other people at my mission who didn’t get away as easily as I did.

I bet your girl is glad you’re back.

Cathy and I are friends. At least I hope we can still be friends. We’d talked about working a foreign mission together, then this opportunity had dropped in my lap. And frankly, the fact that I was single was probably the main reason I was chosen for the position. Cathy and I didn’t get much chance to talk while I was away.

Then, you haven’t heard about her excitement? More like terror, I should say.

What? No, I haven’t seen her, yet. What happened? Is she okay?

You should speak to the police chief about that. I wouldn’t want to say something I shouldn’t. But thanks for the interview.

You can learn more about Ray and his story in the romantic suspense, COUNTER POINT, now available for pre-order at 40% off.

Here’s the short version:

Someone wants to complete the final assignment of a murdered hit man.

Her dad’s gone, her diner’s closing, and her car’s in the lake. Cat McPherson has nothing left to lose … except her life. And a madman, bent on revenge, is determined to take that, as well. Her former boyfriend, Ray Alexander, returns as a hero from his foreign mission, bringing back souvenirs in the form of death-threats. When several attempts are made on Cat’s life, she must find a way to trust Ray, the man who broke her heart.

Keeping Cat safe from a fallen cartel leader might prove impossible for Ray, but after seeing his mission destroyed and hearing of the deaths of several godly people, he knows better than to ignore the man’s threats. Cat’s resistance to his protection and the stirring of his long-denied feelings for her complicate his intentions, placing them both in a fight for their lives.

And if you DO pre-order COUNTER POINT email your receipt to Write Integrity Press by October 30th and receive an ebook collection of Marji’s short romance stories, HEART SPARKS – only available through this offer.

About the Author:

Schooled by experts such as Perry Mason, Jessica Fletcher, and Dr. Mark Sloan, Marji Laine writes the mysteries she craves with a touch of romance and a thread of faith. Her series are made up of stand-alone stories with satisfying endings where justice prevails. She sets most of her books in and around the Dallas area, where she has lived all her life, or in the small towns of East Texas that she adores.

I’d love it if you’d help me spread the word too. This giveaway has already been going on for a couple of weeks and I only just clued into it!

Here is a twitter blurb that I think will work for those on twitter (ducking head, because I’m not on it): Love #mysteries? Check out Sandra Orchard’s #Goodreads #Giveaway #AnotherDayAnotherDali @RevellBooks bit.ly/GR-ADAD

With everything going on in our family these past few months, marketing hasn’t exactly been on my radar. But thank you once again to all of you who have been praying for my grandsons these past few months. We couldn’t be happier with how they are both thriving.

The Scavenger Hunt & Stop #4 Extra Giveaway is now over. Haley S is the winner of The Cowboy’s Bride Collection

I’m participating in the CAN (Christian Authors Network) Scavenger Hunt this week and I am stop #4. If you would like to participate in the whole thing for the chance to win a box load of boxes (US residents only**), please start here:

1) Josiah, what made you choose Ford Junction as your home? Can you tell us a little about the place?

Hanacker Land and Cattle Company spreads across Texas Creek and the stage road that runs from Ford Junction to Westcliffe, Colorado. We’re about five miles south of the junction where the Denver and Rio Grande stops on its way to Leadville. I run cows and horses and cut hay on this place that my grandad homesteaded. It’s all I’ve ever known.

2) How did you meet Corra Jameson? What did you think about her the first time you met?

I first saw Corra standing at the boarding house holding back her niece while me and my young’uns trailed our longhorns down Main Street. Not a weak one, I could tell by the way she held my eye as I rode by. Never dreamed that I’d be hiring her as a lady-trainer for my Jess.

3) What are your strengths and weaknesses?

Well, I know good stock when I see it. Have a way with horses, too. Weakness? I guess that’d be how sorely I miss Maisie and what a poor job I’ve done of raisin’ Jess up to be just like her brother.

4) What do you value above all else?

My family.

5) Have you heard what my blog’s phrase is for the CAN Scavenger Hunt?

“Yep, I heard tell it was ‘Christian Authors.’”

6) What do you admire about Corra?

The way she took Jess’s training in hand without Jess knowing it. Gentle like, the way I treat my horses. And the way she reads from the Good Book each evening, like she knows the stories inside and out without even looking at the words on the page. And the way she makes me feel, like I found something I didn’t know was missin’.

7) Why could you never see yourself ending up with Corra?

Don’t know that she’d have someone like me who knows nothing but cattle and good horses.

8) What’s your greatest fear?

Losing my girl, Jess, to that ol’ bat Beatrice, Maisie’s sister. She’s threatened to take Jess from me if she isn’t a proper lady, like a girl should be, by summer’s end.

9) What is the one thing you would never do?

Let Beatrice take my baby girl.

10) What do you hope people will learn from your experience?

That the Good Lord has a way of workin’ things out, even if His ways are a might different than ours.

To collect the next part of the scavenger hunt’s phrase, visit Davalynn’s blog. Or if I’m you’re last stop on the hunt and you’re ready to enter the contest, click here to send in your entry: http://christianauthorsnetwork.com/newreleases/

But before you do, let me tell you a bit about Davalynn too. 🙂

Award-winning author Davalynn Spencer writes bestselling inspirational Western romance and teaches writing at Pueblo Community College. Her novel, Romancing the Widow, won the 2015 Will Rogers Gold Medallion Award for inspirational Western fiction, and her recent release, The Cowboy’s Bride, was an ECPA and Publisher’s Weekly bestseller. Davalynn makes her home on Colorado’s Front Range with a Queensland heeler named Blue and two mouse detectors, Annie and Oakley.

Leave a comment below for a chance to win a copy of The Cowboy’s Bride Collection. (open to readers worldwide)

(P.S. If you’ve never commented on my blog before, your comment won’t appear until I moderate it, but rest assured it will eventually. My days are spent at the hospital so my opportunities to get on the computer are hit and miss)

For those who don’t follow my Facebook posts, these days I’m spending most of my time at the hospital helping however I can with my grandchildren, especially my almost-three-year-old grandson who was critically injured in a lawn tractor accident on May 20th.

Thanks to the Lord’s mercy, the skill and dedication and quick action of emergency personnel and medical staff, and the prayers of thousands worldwide, we still have our sweet little boy with us.

Of course, he has a long recovery journey ahead of him. Currently he is fighting an infection in the skin grafts across his back. He has a badly broken left leg, but x-rays show it is healing nicely. He has broken ribs that the doctors think might never entirely knit together. He also has a torn diaphragm, and very tender skin grafts at the base of his amputated right leg (at the knee).

We are praising God that Jed’s injured spleen has already healed well. His digestion seems to be improving daily. He is responding well to reductions in pain meds (although he is still on a lot).

Emotionally, he’s been a real trooper. He is now able to sit for a few hours at a time in a special stroller and this weekend was even able to venture outside for the first time since the accident. We praise God that there was no brain damage or spinal cord damage and that the growth plates in both thighs appear sound. Once he recovers from the above injuries, he will transfer to a rehab hospital, where he will learn to walk with a prosthetic.

We thank so many of you who have joined our family in prayer for Jed’s recovery and ask that you continue praying. This week’s infection setback, which caused his heart rate and temp to get scary high, has reminded us of how rocky the road ahead might yet be.

We daily lean on the Lord for strength and hope, and knowing that a whole army of others are also standing in the gap on Jed’s behalf is incredibly encouraging.

Over the course of the summer, I will continue to post occasional updates on my Facebook page to let you know how he’s doing and alert you to specific ways you might pray for him. If you are not on Facebook, my updates also appear in the sidebar of this blog.

In Book News:

Deadly Devotion, book 1 in Port Aster Secrets, is on sale for $2.99 or less for the Ebook version at online retailers until June 30th.

Desperate Measures, book 3 in the series is a finalist in The Word Awards, mystery/suspense category.

I am currently working through edits on the final book in my Serena Jones Mysteries series. Thank you to all who took the time to vote for Serena’s future beau after reading A Fool and His Monet. It was a blast reading all your comments. It’s sad to see this series end. Another Day, Another Dali will release in October and the final book, Over Maya Dead Body, will tentatively release next June.

What will be next after that is still up in the air. Books are generally submitted a year ahead of publication, so although my writing has shifted to the back burner for the moment, my readers wouldn’t feel the effect, if any, until 2018. My publisher would like me to write a romantic suspense series next. So while I don’t have time to write at the moment, I am mulling over ideas and gathering a slew of new experiences and the whole gamut of emotions from which to draw.

Today I am participating in a Facebook Hop Around the World Giveaway with Henery Press, celebrating their 100th book with a 100 authors.

They aren’t my publisher, but I thought it would be fun to join some fellow mystery authors of various publishers to give my readers an opportunity to win some free books.

Each stop on the hop features a giveaway, mine will be a signed paperback copy of my newest release, A Fool & His Monet + some fun extras. To enter, you must leave a comment on the pinned post before midnight EDT today, June 13th.

Then if you like, you can hop around to other participating author pages & enter for a chance to win any of their prizes that might appeal to you.

I’m delighted to have Elizabeth Goddard, author of the Mountain Cove series with Love Inspired Suspense, here to share a bit about her latest novel, Deception. Take it away, Beth…

Thank you, Sandra. I recently read an article titled, “Where’s Your Dream House?” in Woman’s World magazine’s June 13 issue. Perhaps you read the same article. One gorgeous scenic image jumped out at me—a beautiful, clear river running toward a snow-capped mountain in the distance. Yes! That’s where my dream home would be.

Among the other choices were a beach, the country, the city and the suburbs.

The article explained that by choosing the mountains, choosing to live in a serene setting, I’m an introvert and that I “have an inherent ability to see situations with a wide perspective.”

I don’t know about the perspective part but I’m certainly an introvert! But the article made me think about the books I write—the part I love most about my stories is the setting. Writing novels set in places like southeast Alaska (my Mountain Cove series) let’s me spend all that time enjoying the setting, at least in my head.

I’ve always been a daydreamer, and if I’m not living somewhere then escaping to an exotic location in a novel set in such a place is the next best thing. When I’m searching for a new novel idea, I almost always look for the setting first.

As readers, I’m guessing that’s not necessarily what you look for first when deciding whether you want to spend the next few hours or days with a novel. If it’s set in a place you’d love to see, then that might catch your interest, but you also want action, adventure and intrigue. Throw in some romance and you’re all set.

That’s exactly what you’ll get in Deception, the 6th novel in the Mountain Cove series.

Here is what reviewers are saying:

I thought that the description of the wild Alaskan scenery was breathtaking and that it made me feel as if I was there. –Britt Reads Fiction

. . .the vivid imagery of the Alaskan wilderness . . . Deception is an exciting tale and a recommended read for fans of romantic suspense!—Buzzing About Books

Vivid descriptions and action bring the story to life—RT Book Reviews (4 STARS)

Thanks for having me, Sandra! And thanks for joining me, Readers!

Me again. My pleasure, Beth. Readers here is the back cover blurb for Deception and some more info about Beth.

TRAIL OF SECRETS

Jewel Caraway thought she’d left her mistakes in the past—but then her past arrives at her door. Though she’s thrilled to reunite with her estranged sister, something about her sister’s new husband makes Jewel uneasy. Does he know her secret? Is he the one behind the growing list of attacks against her? And if he is involved…does that mean her sister is, too? With nowhere else to turn, Jewel must rely on police chief Colin Winters—the first man to make the widow question her resolve to never love again. But will he stay by her side when her guarded secrets are revealed?

Elizabeth Goddard is the bestselling, award-winning author of more than twenty-five romance novels and counting, including the romantic mystery, THE CAMERA NEVER LIES–a 2011 Carol Award winner. She’s a double finalist in the 2016 Daphne Du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense for her books BURIED and BACKFIRE in the Mountain Cove series.

A 7th generation Texan, Elizabeth graduated from North Texas State University with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and worked in high-level software sales for several years before retiring to home school her children and fulfill her dreams of writing full-time. She currently makes her home in Minnesota with her husband and children.

To get book news sign up for her newsletter at her website: http://elizabethgoddard.com

You can also connect with Elizabeth on Facebook: http://facebook.com/elizabethgoddardauthor

So…here it is mid-Spring in Niagara, flowers are blooming, the trees are leafed out and the birds are tip-tapping at the window, and…it’s snowing!

But…on the bright side, if it were a beautiful, sunny, warm spring day like the day I took the above picture, I wouldn’t feel like polishing the manuscript that’s due in two weeks or reading the page proofs for another book in the pipeline or working on a new proposal for the next book. 😉

And my sweet hubby has fired up the old wood stove, so this is turning out to be a nice cozy afternoon. Of course…the real excitement starts this evening when I get to babysit my grandchildren. 😀

By later tonight, I should have a fun photo or maybe even a video to add to the bottom of this post. The children have discovered that their Poppy can video them in front of a green screen and send them to the moon or to wherever they like.

I really enjoyed Patricia Bradley’s newest release,Silence in the Dark. This the fourth book in her Logan Point series, but you don’t have to have read the previous books to follow it at all. But if you have, it’s fun to revisit many of the characters you’ve met in previous books.

Here’s the book’s back cover blurb:

When Bailey Adams left Logan Point two years ago for the mission field of Chihuahua, Mexico, she thought she was getting away from her problems. Running into her ex-fiancé Danny Maxwell was not part of the plan—neither was being chased through the city by the local drug cartel, the Calatrava. Now despite her best efforts, Danny is her only chance of escaping the people chasing her and getting back to Logan Point safely. Can Bailey find the strength to face what’s coming? And in the midst of the chaos, can she keep herself from falling in love with her rescuer all over again?

My thoughts:

This fast-paced suspense kept me turning pages late into the night. It was a perfect blend of mystery, suspense and romance. Reunion romances make the idea of a romance blossoming in such a short time in such dire circumstances so much more believable. And I love that Danny got a second chance to prove his love. Pat did a fantastic job of believably portraying Bailey’s struggle to put God’s will for her life ahead of the desires of her heart. The spiritual thread is nicely woven through the story. And I love how Bailey’s parents show their love and support to her (but I won’t tell you how, because I don’t want to give anything away). 5 stars!

I asked Pat to answer a couple of questions about the book:

First where did you get the idea for this book?

Funny thing about that. Bailey came out of nowhere in a conversation between Ben Logan and Danny Maxell when I was writing the second book, A Promise to Protect:

“Have you heard from Bailey?” Ben asked when he caught up with him.

“A letter every now and then.” Danny’s clipped words warned Ben away from the subject.

I had to know why he hadn’t heard from her and where she was.

That’s too funny. Non-writers must get a chuckle over how little we sometimes know our own characters until the words spill out of their mouths. Now the first part of the book was set in Mexico. Did that present challenges for you?

A little. Since I’ve never been to Mexico, I had to talk to a lot of people who had, particularly to Chihuahua. From all the photos I found on the web, it is a beautiful area.

Hmm, it’s not a place I’d be in a hurry to visit after reading your novel! Too scary.

Readers, I’m giving away a copy of Patricia’s book to one randomly selected commenter. I’ll pick the name after midnight EDT Saturday. So…

Your Turn: Do you have a question for Pat? About the book, the series or her writing?

On Saturday April 30th, I will be participating in a wonderful event called Authors For Indies Day. This is the 2nd annual such day in Canada with the purpose of the event being to support and celebrate our local independent book stores who so kindly carry and promote our books.

Last year’s event saw 123 stores and 692 authors across Canada, taking part in their local shops. This year you can find me at R&B Novel-Teas on Queen Street in Niagara Falls. As an author I will be there to read and sign copies of my books but you might also see me behind the counter putting purchases in bags, serving a cup of tea, or helping someone find the perfect book to read.

Mark the date on your calendar! You can find more information about the national event at their website http://www.authorsforindies.com and the local event at www.novelteas.ca. If you don’t live in this area there may be a store near you who is participating. You can find a list of participating stores and authors on the website.